Obstacle Highlight: The Warped Wall

You’ve decided to do it. You’ve begun your journey to become a ninja warrior. You’ve purchased some tabi shoes. You’ve enshrouded yourself in secrecy and darkness.

You’ve even decided to start jogging.

On your journey to become the best ninja warrior, few things could stand in your way, but stand in your way they do. One of those things has felled many ninja warriors before you, and now it stands mocking your prowess. That obstacle is the Warped Wall!

Ok, so maybe you aren’t studying the ancient ways of ninjutsu or traveling only in the shadows….

But you have decided to start taking on ninja obstacle courses. You’re in the right place.

The Ninja Playground is one of Utah’s Premiere ninja obstacle course facilities. We’re a local gym in Lehi and we want to help you get ready to tackle every single obstacle. In this post, we’ll give you the ins and outs, the ups and downs of the Warped Wall. In this article, we’ll try and get all the info you’ll need to correctly reach the top.

Before we go on, go ahead and check out our competition schedule. Every 3 months or so, we have a competition to help people prepare for the major competitions that come around every year. Get signed up and we’ll help you prepare to beat the course.

The Warped Wall

From ancient days comes an ancient foe. Ninja warriors encountered this dangerous foe many times in many battles.

With each encounter comes the test. Either the ninja would fail or they would overcome.

That foe is the Warped Wall.

Ok, so technically the warped wall isn’t exactly what ancient ninjas faced.

Let’s be real. What are the chances of finding a curved wall in the ancient land of the rising sun? Ninjas needed to scale walls though, so the challenge is still the same (kinda).

The Warped Wall first appeared on the japanese TV Show, SASUKE, in their 5th season and has featured on almost every episode since then. Called the Soritatsu Kabe in japanese, the warped wall has proven a serious challenge for most competitors.

The goal is to run up a half-or quarter pipe to reach a ledge that you then climb up. In the US version of the show, the warped wall has usually been featured at the very end of the course.

If you were to see this in the backyard of some of the competitors who train at home (as most of them build one to train on), then it would look like a tall wall that instead of meeting the ground at a 90 degree angle, curves out in a concave way to extend some distance in front of the wall.

The top of the wall usually has some sort of bar or ledge to grab. You’d probably see people practicing on it as well, because as I already said, it is a very popular obstacle. It has also been the demise of many a contestant.

The Goal

The basic goal of the warped wall is to get to the top.

Seems easy right? Well the difficulty comes when you realize that in most competitions, the warped wall is featured at the very end. You are supposed to get through the entire course, fatiguing the various muscles in your body, and then at the very end, scale a very tall wall.

Because a ninja warrior course takes a lot of quick, and precise movements, it can tire your body out very quickly. It’s also important to note that in the American Ninja Warrior competition, you only get three chances to scale the wall. If you fail, you are eliminated.

The Technique

First, you will want to make sure you have shoes with a lot of grip. If they are wet, try and dry them off. Your feet propel you up the ramp, and you will need all of the extra traction you can get.

The Obstacle pretty much breaks down into 3 parts as you can see in the video tutorial we made. There’s the Run Up, the Run On, and the Jump.

The Run Up

The run up is your approach towards the obstacle. This sets up the rest of the attempt. Remember to run as fast as you can. You will need all the speed you can get, in order to successfully reach the top.

Use your arms as a counter weight to help crank your legs and improve your speed. Make sure your steps are correctly timed so that your last step before you step on the wall lands right in front of the wall. If you step farther away or on the wall when you aren’t ready, the timing of your run will be off.

The Run On

Here, you are on the ramp. You want three high steps propelling you up the ramp. In this phase of the obstacle, you want to maintain your momentum you built up during the Run Up. If you keep the momentum as much as possible, it will help propel you up during The Jump.

The Jump

This is the final phase of the Warped Wall. This happens directly after your third high step going up the wall. You jump and thrust your arms up.

It’s very important to keep your eyes up and forward, to focus on reaching for the bar. Trust that you will land on your feet and don’t turn around.

The Dangers

No matter how crazy of a ninja you are, do not jeopardize your ability to compete, or even have fun by engaging in reckless and perhaps harmful behavior that could injure you. With that said, here are some tips to help you beat the warped wall, but also not get injured in your attempts.

Do not turn around mid-jump if you miss the bar. Many people attempt the Jump, miss the bar and turn mid-jump, and end up rolling their ankles or worse. Trust that you will catch yourself on your feet, and keep your face forward. Avoid injuries so you can keep competing in the ninja mayhem.

As you Run On and Jump keep your face and chest pointed up toward the top of the wall. That’s where you want to go, so point your body that way. Just like any other machine, your body goes where you point it. If you do these simple things, you’ll avoid injury, conquer the obstacle, and become a better ninja warrior.

In Action

Check out a small video tutorial on how to beat the warped wall. In it, you’ll see excellent examples of how to overcome the obstacle. Pay close attention.

Now that you can theoretically beat the warped wall, come down to the Ninja Playground and put your knowledge to the test. Come visit us at our location in Lehi Utah.

Check out our hours of operation. There’s bound to be a slot for open-gym that fits your schedule. We’d love to meet you.